Agents execute search warrant at Emery Telcom

On Feb. 5, agents from the Utah Attorney General's Office and the Emery County sheriff's department executed a warrant and conducted a search at the telephone company offices in Orangeville.

In addition to executing the court-issued search warrant, a statement issued by Emery Telcom's board of directors confirmed authorities interviewed several office personnel in connection with an investigation involving the company and certain unidentified employees.

"Emery Telcom and its employees are cooperating fully with those agencies in their investigation," indicated the statement issued by the company's board of directors. "As this is an ongoing investigation, Emery Telcom will make no further comment."

On Monday, the Utah Attorney General's Office declined to discuss the matter until the agencies conclude the investigation involving Emery Telcom and the company's employees.

The phone company serves customers in the local area via the Carbon/Emery Telcom office in Price.

In April 2001, Emery Telcom announced the largest customer acquisition in the company's history.

Pursuant to a negotiated sales agreement, Qwest Communications transferred nearly all of the company's customers in the Carbon County, Hanksville and surrounding service areas to Emery Telcom.

The acquisition placed Emery Telcom as approximately the 75th largest independent telephone company in the nation, according to the company.

After the execution of the sales agreement, local telephone customers were switched from Qwest to Carbon/Emery Telcom.

Emery Telcom's purchase of the 35,000 subscribers was announced in October 1999.

The process of acquiring the customers and associated facilities took Emery Telcom 18 months to complete.

The sales agreement affected five different telephone companies at locations throughout Utah.